A Columbia steakhouse has to address a myriad of critical and noncritical violations after a health inspection with in the last week.
Routine inspections happen two to three times per year based on priority and location of Columbia restaurants, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services previously has said. Follow-up inspections happen if a critical violation is found. Restaurants usually can correct noncritical violations by the next routine inspection. Reports are from Oct. 1 through Monday, unless otherwise noted.
Two critical issues at Chris McD's, 1400 Forum Blvd., was addressed during the inspection, while the restaurant has until Oct. 16 to address the remainder. An employee was observed handling a ready-to-eat steak with bare hands, rather than while wearing gloves. The steak was discarded during the inspection.
The inspector also provided education on proper hand washing after an employee was observed dunking their hands into a sanitizer bucket and then drying their hands, rather than properly washing them.
The restaurant was using a cooking method using reduced oxygen and sous vide, but does not have a hazard control plan in place with this method, so an inspector provided resources by email and the restaurant cannot use this method until control method is established by Oct. 16.
Other issues the restaurant can address by a reinspection next week include providing a food manager certificate, cleaning a soiled ice machine, getting sanitizer concentration test strips, ensuring there are air gaps on a food preparation and three-basin sink and adding paper towels at a server alley hand sink.
While noted as noncritical, some drawer coolers on the cook line or at the bar reach-reach in cooler are not holding temperatures at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below and need servicing by Oct. 16. Anything put in these coolers at the start of a day's service needs to be discarded at the end of service, roughly 4.5 hours later.
Other noncritical issues can be addressed by February. A lid of a small roll top cooler needs repair and duct tape removed; a shield in the ice machine is no longer smooth or easy to clean, so needs replacement; spatulas that are not smooth or easy to clean need replacing; an unsealed wooden shelf below a microwave needs sealing; walk-in and bar reach-in coolers are missing internal thermometers; employee food needs a different storage location than above establishment food and soiled ceiling tiles in the kitchen need replacements.
A discussion also was held with management about installing a paper towel dispenser in the bar area for a hand sink, proper storage order of eggs in coolers and the inspector will need to verify food handler cards on Oct. 16.
'Organic growth' found at another steakhouse
Another Columbia steakhouse is facing issues inside its walk-in cooler and freezer that it had until Friday to address.
Jimmy's Family Steakhouse, 3101 S. Providence Road, was inspected Monday. There was a critical repeat violation of food stored on the floor of freezer rather than six inches above. Cooler shelves have a buildup of an organic growth that also needed cleaning by Friday.
A dishwasher not dispensing enough sanitizer was fixed, though, during Monday's inspection. One other was noncritical and addressed during the inspection. A Pepsi-branded reach-in cooler was not holding the correct temperature, but after a thermostat adjustment was holding at 37 degrees. Potentially hazardous items were discarded.
The inspector also discussed with management a black build-up on reach-in freezer gaskets. If the buildup cannot be cleaned, the gaskets need replacement.
Multiple issues at fast food location
One of the six locations of McDonald's in Columbia is facing various issues after an inspection Monday.
Bacon that did not have time stamps or logs was discarded during the inspection at the 3206 Clark Lane location, near the Interstate 70/U.S. Highway 63 connector.
A repeat violation of employees without food handler cards was considered critical. Only one employee presented a card. All employees need cards by Oct. 14. Other issues employees can address by that date include cleaning the soiled ice chute and soda nozzles on the machine at the drive-thru, buying sanitizer concentration test strips to ensure the concentration of sanitizer in buckets is strong enough, replacing soiled lobby ceiling tiles and adding a drying method at a hand washing sink.
Remaining issues should be addressed by February. This includes cleaning build-up on floors, the excessive grease buildup behind fryers, dust build up on ceilings and near vents, as well as any other nonfood contact surface. An inspector recommended daily defrosting of two reach-in freezers near the fry station to prevent excessive buildup, where that method can be in place by February. Staff also should ensure iced tea urns and liners are washed every 24 hours. The inspector observed a date sticker change on a dispenser without the liner being replaced. Racks in a reach-in freezer near the fry station have chipping paint and are showing rust and need to be repainted or replaced.
The inspector also discussed proper food storage of raw eggs, use of liners in trash receptacles and organziing Servesafe materials into a single file.
Routine inspections
Little Caesar's 505 E. Nifong Blvd. only had noncritical issues Oct. 2. Accumulation of debris on fan grates in the walk-in cooler needs cleaning by December, along with the accumulation of soiling on cooler racks, the soiling of door gaskets on a front counter hot holding units and the walk-in door gasket in disrepair needs replacement. The inspector also discussed with management about keeping the lid of a cooler closed to keep food at holding temperatures. The food in the cooler was at the upper limit of safe temperatures. A new store manager is attending a food safety training soon and certification will be in place by the next routine inspection.
Cooked pork, chicken and bacon at Harpo's, 29 S. Ninth St., was being held at the wrong temperature for hot food, 116 degrees rather than at least 135 degrees. So, that food was discarded during the inspection Oct. 4. A dishwasher needs servicing by Friday to ensure it is dispensing enough sanitizer. A kitchen hand washing sink also did not have soap or a way to dry hands, which also needs to be in place by Friday. A label was added to a nonlabelled chemical spray bottle. A non critical issue, but still needing correction by Friday is finding a different place to store a bag of onions, rather than the floor of the kitchen.
Firehouse Subs, 3507 Norfleet Drive Suite 101, needs to clean it's soiled ice machine by Oct. 14.
Raw bacon stored above sour cream at Southside Pizza and Pub, 3908 Peachtree Drive Suite H, was rearranged into the correct order after its inspection Monday. Date labels also were added to potentially hazardous food (pepperoni, sausage and chicken), a repeat violation. A soiled ice machine needed cleaning by Friday. Management can replace gaskets being held together with duct tape on a food preparation cooler by February. The tapes needs removal in the mean time since it is not easy to clean. The inspector also discussed with management about changing the soda nozzle cleaning schedule from weekly to daily.
The Barnes and Noble Cafe, 2208 Bernadette Drive, still did not have employee food handler cards or manager food safety certificates Monday. The walk-in cooler floor needs repairs by February and a discussion was held on management obtaining a secondary dish washer temperature device to ensure the dishwasher is maintaining a sanitizing temperature of at least 160 degrees.
Only noncritical issues were found Monday at The Grind Coffee House, 1412 Forum Blvd. Dust buildup throughout the establishment in high places, missing ceiling tiles in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, and a missing cover for a light in the back room all can be addressed by January.
Pizza Hut, 715 Nifong Blvd., did have a critical dishwashing issue until a manager primed a sanitizer Monday. The machine previously was not dispensing the require concentration of sanitizer.
Reinspections
Critical issues at three Columbia eateries were fixed by the time of a follow-up inspection in the last week.
Mad Cow, 503 E. Nifong Blvd., had sanitizer concentration test strips Oct. 4; a dish machine was dispensing enough sanitizer at Shortwave Coffee Bakery and Cafe, 29 S. Ninth St., also on Oct. 4; and Chipotle staff at the 2540 Broadway Bluffs Drive turned had a reach-in cooler around Monday so it could not be accessed until it could be serviced. A work order was issued Oct. 2.
No violations
Only two Columbia restaurants were noted to have no violations at routine inspections in the last week. There were other discussions with management though.
Jimmy John's, 912 Rain Forest Parkway, needs to find a more secure place for storing a bag of onions after its Oct 4. inspection.
Las Margaritas, 5612 St. Charles Road, is where on Monday an inspector discussed adding more bleach to sanitizer buckets to ensure they are at the correct concentration and to regularly monitor the concentration.
Previously:Columbia restaurant inspection reports return. Here are 3 weeks of violations
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
